JAPAN 


AND 


KOREA 


Japan  and  Korea 


QUESTIONS 

AND 

ANSWERS 

FOR 

MISSION  CIRCLES  AND  BANDS 

BY  MISSIONARIES 
OF  THE  PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD 


PHiCE  FIVE  CENTS 


1907 

THE  WOMAN’S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY 
OF  THE  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH 

501  Witherspoon  Building 
Philadelphia 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2016 


https://archive.org/details/japankoreaquesti00unse_1 


JAPAN 


1.  Give  a general  description  of  Japan. 

The  Empire  of  Japan  lies  off  the  eastern  shore 
of  Asia.  It  is  composed  of  four  large  islands 
and  many  small  ones,  which  are  grouped  to- 
gether in  the  shape  of  a new  moon. 

2.  How  do  travelers  go  to  Japan  ? 

Either  by  sailing  from  New  York  to  England, 
from  there  across  Europe,  through  the  Suez 
Canal,  and  around  the  south  of  Asia ; or  by 
railroad  to  San  Francisco  or  Vancouver,  and 
thence  across  the  Pacific  Ocean  direct  to  Yoko- 
hama. 

3.  What  is  the  difference  in  time  between 
New  York  and  Japan  ? 

The  sun  rises  in  Japan  fourteen  hours  before 
it  rises  in  New  York. 

4.  What  was  the  old  Japanese  belief  about  the 
origin  of  their  country  ? 

That  Japan  was  made  by  the  gods  and  was  for 
a long  time  their  residence  ; a common  name 
for  the  country  among  the  people  is  the  “ Land 
of  the  Gods.”  They  believed  also  that  the 
emperor  was  descended  from  the  gods. 

5.  What  is  the  Emperor  called? 


3 


By  foreigners  the  emperor  is  usually  called  the 
Mikado,  but  the  Japanese  generally  speak  of 
him  as  the  Tens/iisama,  which  means  the  Son 
of  Heaven.  Two  or  three  hundred  years  ago  an 
officer  hearing  the  title  of  Shogun  usurped  the 
chief  authority,  and  from  that  time  until  the 
year  1868  the  Shoguns  were  the  real  rulers  of 
the  country,  although  the  Mikado  was  the  nom- 
inal head. 

6.  How  was  the  Mikado  restored  to  power  ? 

For  some  time  before  the  year  1868  many  of 

the  Daimios  or  feudal  lords  had  wished  to  de- 
throne the  Shogun  or  Taikun  (Tykoon)  as 
foreigners  used  to  call  him,  and  to  restore 
the  Mikado  to  power.  The  feeling  against 
foreigners  was  very  strong,  and  as  the  Shogun 
had  admitted  them  into  the  country  his  enemies 
had  a good  excuse  for  carrying  out  their  plans  ; 
accordingly  an  army  was  raised,  several  battles 
were  fought,  and  the  Mikado  was  restored  to  his 
rights.  He  then  removed  from  Kyoto  to  Yedo, 
which  had  been  the  residence  of  the  Shogun, 
and  the  name  of  Yedo  was  changed  to  Tokyo, 
meaning  Eastern  Capital. 

7.  Is  the  government  now  opposed  to  for- 
eigners ? 

Before  1858  the  party  of  the  Mikado  was 
strongly  opposed  to  foreigners  ; but  his  advisers 
were  wise  enough  to  change  their  policy,  be- 


4 


coming  progressive  and  favorable  to  foreign  in- 
stitutions. 

8.  What  was  the  result  ? 

Wonderful  progress  was  made  in  introducing 
Western  methods  of  government  and  education. 
Christianity  shared  in  the  favor  shown  to  every- 
thing foreign  and  spread  with  great  rapidity. 

9.  Do  the  people  sympathize  with  the  govern- 
ment ? 

About  1888,  a reaction  took  place  among  the 
people,  many  of  whom  disapproved  the  policy 
of  the  government  and  disliked  all  foreign  in- 
fluence. After  the  war  with  China  (1894),  made 
successful  by  foreign  methods,  the  opposition 
subsided. 

10.  What  is  the  government? 

Since  February,  1889,  when  the  National  Con- 
stitution was  adopted,  it  is  a Constitutional 
Monarchy  with  a Diet,  consisting  of  a House 
of  Peers  and  a House  of  Representatives,  which 
met  for  the  first  time  November  29,  1890. 

ix.  What  advances  have  been  recently  made 
by  the  government  ? 

By  the  revised  treaties  with  the  Western 
nations  (1899)  Japan  was  recognized  as  a civilized 
people  and  placed  upon  an  equal  footing  with 
other  nations.  The  adoption  of  the  Civil  Code 
(1896)  gave  Japan  jurisdiction  over  alliforeign 


5 


residents  in  the  Empire,  abolishing  the  system 
of  foreign  courts. 

12.  Is  travel  restricted? 

The  whole  country  is  now  open  to  the  com- 
merce and  residence  of  foreigners. 

13.  What  occurred  in  1904-1905? 

A war  between  Japan  and  Russia,  in  which 
Japan  was  victorious.  The  wonderful  energy 
and  ability  displayed  by  the  Japanese  raised  them 
to  a high  place  in  the  esteem  of  foreign  nations. 

14.  What  do  the  Japanese  call  their  country  ? 

Niphon  or  Nippon,  which  means  Source  of 

Light,  and  the  land  is  often  called  the  “Land 
of  the  Morning,”  or  the  “Land  of  the  Rising 
Sun.” 

15.  What  is  the  climate? 

It  is  damp  and  somewhat  debilitating  to  for- 
eigners. As  Japan  is  surrounded  by  the  ocean, 
the  summer  heat  is  tempered,  while  the  warm 
current  washing  the  eastern  shore  mitigates  the 
severity  of  the  winter. 

16.  What  of  the  scenery  in  Japan  ? 

The  damp  atmosphere  makes  the  ground  fer- 
tile and  the  foliage  luxuriant.  It  is  a land  of 
fruit  and  flowers,  and  the  eye  of  the  traveler  is 
especially  struck  by  the  wonderful  beauty  of 
the  mountains  and  valleys. 

17.  What  is  the  most  celebrated  mountain  in 
Japan  ? 


6 


Fujisan  or  Fuji  no  Yama.  It  is  an  extinct 
volcano,  a solitary  peak  rising  more  than  12,000 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  its  summit 
covered  with  snow  during  most  of  the  year. 
The  Japanese  are  very  proud  of  Mount  Fuji,  and 
constantly  paint  it  upon  fans,  porcelain  and  lac- 
quer-ware.  In  the  summer-time,  when  the 
snow  is  gone,  bands  of  pilgrims  dressed  in 
white,  each  with  a staff  in  his  hand  and  a little 
bell  tinkling  from  his  girdle,  may  be  seen  jour- 
neying to  the  top  of  the  mountain  to  worship. 

iS.  What  is  the  population  of  Japan  ? 

About  50.000,000  people.  Its  three  great 
cities  are  Tokyo,  Osaka  and  Kyoto. 

19.  Describe  the  people. 

They  are  generally  small  with  black  hair  and 
slightly  oblique  black  eyes.  They  are  kindly, 
impressible,  gentle  and  contented,  but  lack 
many  of  the  higher  moral  virtues. 

20  In  what  sort  of  houses  do  they  live? 

Most  of  their  houses  are  only  one  story  high. 
The  better  ones  have  tile  roofs  ; others  are  cov- 
ered with  little  shingles,  while  in  the  country 
many  of  the  houses  are  thatched.  They  have 
light,  paper-covered  doors  that  slide  backward 
and  forward  on  grooved  sills. 

21.  How  are  the  houses  furnished  ? 

The  floors  are  covered  with  mats  about  two 


7 


inches  thick,  each  mat  six  feet  long  by  three 
feet  wide  and  all  the  rooms  in  the  houses  are 
made  to  hold  a certain  number  of  mats  ; so  that 
one  often  hears  people  talking  about  four-mat , 
or  eight-mat  or  twenty  mat  rooms.  Usually 
there  are  some  pictures  hanging  on  the  wall,  or 
sentences  written  in  Chinese  ; not  framed  like 
ours,  but  on  rollers  like  our  maps.  There  is 
scarcely  any  furniture  ; no  chairs,  for  the  people 
sit  on  the  mats  with  their  feet  doubled  up  under 
them;  no  bed-steads,  for  every  night  they  spread 
comfortables  on  the  mats  to  sleep  on;  no  stoves, 
but  instead,  little  fire-boxes  of  metal  or  porce- 
lain or  wood  lined  with  copper,  in  which  they 
burn  charcoal. 

22.  What  food  do  the  Japanese  eat  ? 

They  may  almost  be  said  to  live  upon  rice, 
fish  and  tea.  They  have  also  sweet  potatoes 
and  other  vegetables ; of  fruits  they  have 
oranges,  figs,  grapes,  pears  and  persimmons  as 
large  as  apples.  They  eat  eggs,  and  also  chick- 
ens and  other  birds  ; some  of  them  are  begin- 
ning to  eat  beef  and  mutton.  Their  candy 
shops  always  have  for  their  sign  a great  white 
ball  covered  with  points — an  imitation  of  one  of 
their  commonest  kinds  of  candy. 

23.  How  do  they  eat? 

With  chopsticks  as  the  Chinese  do.  These 
are  generally  made  of  wood  rather  longer  than 


S 


a lead  pencil  and  about  half  as  thick.  Both 
sticks  are  held  in  one  hand  between  different 
fingers,  and  the  Japanese  use  them  very  skill- 
fully. They  have  also  iron  chopsticks  to  handle 
the  charcoal  in  their  fire-boxes,  and  the  rag- 
pickers go  about  the  streets  with  a bag  in  one 
hand  and  a pair  of  chopsticks  three  feet  long  in 
the  other. 

24.  How  do  the  Japanese  dress  ? 

Men,  women  and  children  all  wear  a sort  of 
gown  ( kimono ) cut  straight  and  very  narrow,  and 
confined  by  a girdle  around  the  waist ; besides 
this  the  men  sometimes  put  on  a kind  of  wide 
flowing  trousers.  On  their  feet  all  wear  a sort 
of  low  sock  made  of  white  or  dark  blue  cotton 
goods,  and  shaped  like  mittens  with  a finger  for 
the  big  toe.  When  the  Japanese  go  out  of  doors 
they  generally  put  on  wooden  shoes,  which  are 
kept  on  by  a thong  that  passes  between  the  big 
toe  and  the  others.  Among  some  of  the  higher 
class  and  at  tha  court,  European  dress  has  been 
adopted. 

25.  How  do  they  wear  their  hair? 

The  men  now  cut  their  hair  like  Europeans, 
but  some  of  the  women  still  adhere  to  the  old 
elaborate  Japanese  fashion,  employing  a hair 
dresser,  who  goes  from  house  to  house.  They 
have  their  hair  dressed  only  once  or  twice  a 
week,  and  to  keep  it  in  order  they  sleep  with  a 


9 


little  wooden  pillow  about  six  inches  long  and 
two  inches  wide  under  their  necks. 

26.  How  do  the  Japanese  amuse  themselves? 

They  are  very  fond  of  going  on  excursions 

and  picnics,  and  all  Japanese  delight  in  their 
native  music.  A game  called  “Go,”  which  is 
not  unlike  chess,  is  a great  favorite  among 
grown  people.  The  children  have  some  of  the 
games  familiar  to  American  children,  but  the 
great  game  among  them  is  kite-flying.  In  the 
City  of  Tokyo  one  can  sometimes  count  two 
thousand  kites  flying  at  once.  The  Japanese 
kites  are  not  flat  like  ours,  but  bowed,  and  each 
one  has  a couple  of  strings  stretched  across  it ; 
when  the  wind  blows  the  strings  hum  like  giant 
bumble  bees. 

27.  What  are  the  principal  industries  of  the 
Japanese? 

The  industries  peculiar  to  Japan  are  silk  and 
tea  culture  and  the  manufacture  of  the  bronze, 
lacquer  and  porcelain  wares  which  have  be- 
come famous  in  Europe  and  America. 

28.  What  of  the  Japanese  language  ? 

In  Japan  there  are  many  different  styles  in 
both  the  written  and  the  spoken  language,  and 
these  are  so  well  defined  that  to  confuse  them 
either  in  writing  or  talking  is  considered  a mark 
of  great  ignorance.  The  forms  to  be  used  in 
addressing  persons  higher  in  rank  are  very 


10 


unlike  those  which  are  used  when  speaking  to 
equals,  and  for  inferiors  still  another  form  is 
considered  necessarj'. 

29.  What  is  the  religion  of  the  Japanese? 

Shintoism  was  the  early  faith  of  the  country  ; 

Confucianism  also  has  had  many  followers  ; but 
the  first  of  these  is  a political  principle  rather 
than  a religion,  and  the  second  is  more  strictly 
a system  of  philosophy.  Buddhism  is  the  pre- 
vailing religion  of  Japan. 

30.  Who  was  the  founder  of  Buddhism  ? 

Sakya  Mouni,  or  Gautama,  surnamed  Buddha 

(The  Enlightened  One),  who  lived  in  India 
about  500  B.  C.  He  claimed  no  divine  honors, 
but  has  been  worshipped  by  his  followers  ever 
since  his  death. 

31.  What  does  Buddhism  teach  ? 

Buddhism  teaches  that  the  world  and  all 

things  in  it  came  into  being  without  a creator  ; 
that  the  soul  at  death  passes  into  the  body  of 
some  new-born  human  being,  or  some  animal, 
according  to  the  amount  of  merit  made  while 
living  ; that  it  may  be  thus  born  thousands  of 
times  ; that  the  thing  most  to  be  desired  is  to 
make  so  much  merit  that  the  soul  will  at  last  go 
where  Buddha  has  himself  gone,  into  “Nepon,” 
which  is  a kind  of  eternal  sleep 

32.  Are  there  any  temples  in  Japan  ? 


11 


There  are  three  sorts  of  temples.  First : the 
Shinto  temples,  very  simple  structures,  with 
little  in  them  excepting  a large  mirror.  Second: 
the  shrines  erected  in  honor  of  celebrated  per- 
sons. These  are  the  most  beautiful  buildings  in 
Japan  ; they  are  highly  ornamented  with  carv- 
ing and  paintings  and  magnificent  lacquer- work. 
Third : the  Buddhist  temples,  which  are  filled 
with  idols,  and  where  most  of  the  people  wor- 
ship. 

33.  What  progress  have  the  Japanese  made 
under  foreign  influence? 

They  have  now  men-of-war,  mail  steamers, 
railways,  street  cars  and  all  the  inventions  that 
mark  the  latest  civilization  ; there  are  telegraph 
lines  running  all  over  the  country,  and  an  effi- 
cient postal  system  ; they  have  also  newspapers, 
a university,  military  and  naval  colleges,  schools 
of  medicine,  law  and  agricultnre  ; an  excellent 
common  school  system,  in  which  are  taught  the 
various  branches  of  study  pursued  by  boys  and 
girls  in  America. 


MISSIONS. 

34.  How  long  ago  was  Christianity  intro- 
duced into  Japan? 

Christianity  was  first  introduced  by  Roman 
Catholic  missionaries  under  Francis  Xavier  in 
1549  ; but  they  attempted  to  interfere  with  the 


12 


government  and  were  expelled  from  the  coun- 
try. On  account  of  this  the  Japanese  came  to 
hate  and  fear  Christianity,  and  passed  laws  for- 
bidding any  one  to  profess  it  on  pain  of  death. 

35.  When  were  Protestant  missionaries  first 
sent  to  Japan  ? 

Soon  after  Japan  was  open  to  foreigners  Prot- 
estant missionaries  were  sent  to  the  country,  but 
on  account  of  the  old  hatred  of  the  name  of 
Christianity  very  little  could  be  done  for  a 
number  of  years. 

36.  When  did  the  Presbyterian  Church  begin 
work  in  Japan  ? 

In  1859,  when  Dr.  Hepburn  went  there  as  a 
medical  missionary,  to  prepare  the  way  for  the 
preaching  of  the  gospel.  The  first  Japanese 
church  was  organized  in  1872. 

37.  What  is  the  later  history  of  Presbyterian 
missions  in  Japan  ? 

After  missionaries  had  been  laboring  in  Japan 
for  many  years  from  our  own  Church,  from 
the  Reformed  (Dutch)  Church  and  the  United 
Presbyterian  Church  of  Scotland,  it  was  de- 
cided to  unite  and  form  in  Japan  one  Presby- 
terian Church.  After  a few  years  the  Presby- 
terian Church  (South),  the  Reformed  (German) 
Church,  and  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian 
Church,  joined  those  above  named,  making 
six  organizations  in  all  to  form  the  “United 


13 


Church  of  Christ  in  Japan,”  a self-governing 
Japanese  Church.  In  1890  the  word  11  United  ” 
was  dropped  from  the  name. 

38.  How  large  is  this  “Church  of  Christ” 
(Kiristo  Kyokwai)  ? 

There  are  35  self-supporting  churches ; 40 
churches  are  assisted  by  our  Missions.  The 
church  members  number  about  15,000. 

39.  Where  are  the  mission  stations  of  our 
own  Presbyterian  Board  ? 

In  Eastern  Japan,  Tokyo,  the  capital,  and  its 
seaport,  Yokohama ; the  Hokkaido  station  in 
the  north,  including  Sapporo,  Otaru  and  Asa- 
higawa.  In  Western  Japan,  Kanazawa,  Fukui 
and  Yamaguchi  on  the  coast ; Osaka  aud  Hiro- 
shima on  the  Inland  Sea ; the  ancient  city  of 
Kyoto,  near  Osaka ; Matsuyama,  Kur£  and 
Shimonoseki  on  the  southern  islands. 

40.  What  schools  for  boys  and  young  men 
are  connected  with  the  Presbyterian  Board? 

The  Meiji  Gakuin  at  Tokyo  is  an  important 
institution,  comprising  a preparatory  school, 
college,  and  theological  seminary.  The  course 
of  instruction  is  thorough,  and  to  this  institu- 
tion we  look  for  a native  Christian  ministry, 
well  educated  in  English  branches. 

41.  What  schools  for  girls  aud  young  women 
are  under  the  care  of  the  Presbyterian  Board  ? 


14 


At  Tokyo  there  is  the  Joshi  Gakuin  (formed 
by  the  union  of  Graham  Seminary  and  the 
Bancho  School),  in  which  there  are  three  depart- 
ments—preparatory,  intermediate  and  advanced 
— with  over  250  pupils.  There  is  a school  at 
Dai  Machi,  Tokyo,  established  by  a Japanese 
Christian  gentleman,  in  which  our  missionaries 
teach,  as  they  do  also  in  schools  carried  on  by 
Japanese  at  other  stations.  There  are  also  girls’ 
schools  under  the  care  of  our  mission  at  Kana- 
zawa, Osaka,  Kyoto,  Yamaguchi,  Sapporo  and 
Otaru. 

A Bible  School  for  the  training  of  women  in 
Christian  work  is  carried  on  with  great  promise 
in  Tokyo  and  there  are  day  schools  and  kinder- 
gartens for  boys  and  girls  at  the  different  stations. 

42.  What  literary  work  has  been  done  by 
missionaries? 

The  Bible  has  been  fully  translated  and  largely 
circulated  ; a Japanese  and  English  dictionary 
has  been  prepared  by  Dr.  Hepburn,  and  pub- 
lished ; commentaries,  tracts  and  many  religious 
books  have  been  written  or  translated  by  mem- 
bers of  the  mission  ; and  two  religious  papers 
are  published,  one  partly  in  English,  the  other 
entirely  in  Japanese. 

43.  Are  the  laws  against  Christianity  still  in 
force  ? 


*5 


By  the  Constitution  of  1889  toleration  is 
secured  to  all  religions. 

44.  What  Protestant  Christians  are  working 
there  besides  those  included  in  the  “Church  of 
Christ”? 

Baptists,  Congregationalists,  Methodists, 
Friends  and  the  Episcopalians  of  England  and 
America. 

45 . What  is  the  estimated  number  of  Protes- 
tant Christians? 

About  51,000. 

46.  What  effect  had  the  Russian  war  on  mis- 
sion work  ? 

It  gave  opportunities  for  reaching  thousands 
of  soldiers  in  camps  and  hospitals,  and  they 
have  since  carried  Christian  teachings  into  all 
parts  of  the  country. 

47.  Why  does  Japan  especially  need  the  gos- 
pel of  Christ? 

The  people  are  rapidly  gaining  all  that  mere 
civilization  can  give  them,  and  they  are  drifting 
away  from  their  old  false  faiths.  The  danger 
is  that  they  will  drift  into  atheism,  and  the 
Church  in  America  should,  with  all  the  earnest- 
ness and  speed  possible,  offer  to  them  the  only 
faith  which  can  make  their  country  truly  civil- 
ized and  blessed. 


16 


Language  and  Pronunciation. 

The  Japanese  use  Chinese  characters  largely 
in  writing ; besides  these  they  have  letters  of 
their  own,  each  of  which  represents  a syllable. 
In  writing  the  Japanese  with  Roman  letters  the 
consonants  have  the  same  sound  as  in  English  ; 
but  the  vowels  have  the  Italian  sound,  and  there 


are  no  accents.  / in  the 

middle  of  a word  and 

u at  the  end  are  scarcely  heard. 

a has  the  sound  of 

a in  father. 

£ <(  «(  << 

ey  in  prey. 

i <<  «<  t< 

i in  machine. 

0 “ “ “ 

0 in  no,  so, 

U “ “ “ 

00  in  moon. 

ai  “ “ “ 

eye. 

Geographical  Names. 

Pronunciation 

Fukui 

Foo-koo-e 

Hakodate 

Ha-ko-dah-tay 

Hiroshima 

He-ro-she-7tiah 

Kanazawa 

Kan-ah  zaw-wah 

Kiushu 

Kiu-shiu 

Kobe 

Ko-bay 

Kyoto 

Kee-o-to 

Nagasaki 

Nah-gah-sa  kee 

Osaka 

O-sah-kah 

Otaru 

O-tah-ru 

Sapporo 

Sap-poro 

Takata 

Tak-kah-tah 

Tokyo 

To-ke-o 

Toyama 

Fo-yah-mah 

Tsukiji 

Tskee-jee 

Yamaguchi 

Yah-mah-goo-chee 

Yeso  (or  Hokkaido) 

Ye-so  or  Hok  ki-do 

Yokohama 

Yo-ko  hah-mah 

17 


Coins  and  their  Value. 


Yen 

Silver  dollar  (fifty  cents  in  gold). 

Sen 

A cent. 

Rin 

The  tenth  of  a cent. 

Go-riti 

A half  cent. 

Gold  and  paper  money  are  also  in  use. 

Weights  and  Measures. 

Kin 

i lA  lbs. 

Sun 

One  inch. 

Shaku 

One  foot. 

To 

About  a quarter  of  a bushel. 

Tsubo 

Six  feet  square. 

A house  is  built  for  a certain  amount  per  tsubo. 

Distances. 

Ri  (Ree). 

Equals  two  and  one-half  English 

miles. 

Native  Words  Found  in  Missionary  Literature. 

Pronunciation 

Cho  (Chinese)  Street 

Daitnio 

Dai-mee-o  Feudal  Lord 

Dashi 

Dah-she  Festival  Car 

Doskisha 

Do-shee-shah  The  Congregational 

College  in  Kyoto 

Futon 

Foo-ton  Quilted  bedspread 

Gakko 

School 

Gaku-in 

School  or  college 

Gekkin 

Organ 

Geta 

Ga-tah  A clog  or  wooden 

shoe 


18 


Hai 

Pronunciation 

Hah-ee 

Yes 

Haori 

Hah-o-ree 

Outer  garment 

Hibac/ti 

He-bah-chee 

Fire  box,  or  brazier 

Hirakana 

He-rah-kah  nah  Japanese  letters 

In 

A hall 

Itchi  kyo  kwai 

Union  church 

Jesu  kyo  or 

Yasu-kyo 

“Jesus  doctrine,” 

Jin 

Christianity 

Man 

Jinrikisha 

Jin-reke-shah 

Two -wheeled  car- 

Jizo 

Je-zo 

riage  drawn  by  men 
A heathen  god 

Kago 

Kah-go 

Bamboo  basket  sus- 

Kanji 

Kan-jee 

pended  from  a pole 
and  carried  by  two 
men 

Superintendent 

Kiaro 

Ke-ar-o 

Hand  stove  carried 

Kimono 

Ke-mo-no 

in  the  sleeve 
Garment  or  robe 

Kiristo  Kyokwai  Ke-risto-keo-kwai 

Ko 

Church  of  Christ 
( Presbyter  ’ n church) 
Child 

Kocho 

Ko-cho 

Principal  of  a school 

Koto 

Harp 

Kuritna 

Ku-ree-ma 

Public  conveyance 

Kwaido 

Church  building 

Kwan 

High  official 

Kwazoku 

Kwah-zok 

A nobleman 

Kyo 

Kee-o 

Teaching,  doctrine 

19 


Pronunciation 


Mac  hi 

Street 

“ Mata  Kimasu ” Mah-tah  Ke-mas 

“ I will  come  again” 

Malsuri 

Ma-tsoo-re 

Religious  festival 

Mia 

Me-ah 

Shinto  temple 

Mikado 

Me-hah-do 

Emperor 

Mo  chi 

Mo-chee 

Rice  cake 

Obi 

Obe 

Sash  or  girdle 

Okkasan 

Oh-kah-san 

Mamma,  or  mother 

Okusama 

Okoo-sah-mah 

A lady 

Riki 

Power 

Rojin 

Aged  person 

Satnisen 

Sah-mee-sen 

Common  guitar 

Sampan 

Boat 

San 

Mr.  Mrs.  or  Miss  (put 
after  the  name) 

Sensei 

Sen-say 

Teacher 

Sha 

Wheeled  vehicle 

“ Shikataganai ” She-kah-tah-ga-nai 

“ It  is  inevitable  ” 


Shiki  Kerchief 

Shimbokwai  Shim-bok-kwai 


Shim  bun 

A social  gathering 
Newspaper 

Shin  kyo 

New  doctrine,  also 

Shogun 

Shogoon 

Protestantism 
Formerly  the  high- 

Shoji 

Sho-jee 

est  official  of  Japan 
Paper  partitions,  or 

sliding  doors 

Sobetsukwai  So-ba-tsu-kwai 

20 


Pronunciation 


A farewell  meeting 
Soroban  Counting 

Taiso  Calisthenics 

Talatni  Tali-tah-mi  Mats  3x6  ft.  in  size 

Tenshisama  Ten-she-sah-mah 

“Son  of  heaven  ” 

Tera  Ta-rah  Buddhist  temple 

Torii  Tore-ee  Gateway 

Salutations. 

Pronunciation 

O-hai-yo 

“Good  morning,’’  to 
8 or  9 o’clock 
Kon-ne-che-wah 

“This  day,”  from  9 
to  sunset 

“This  night,”  or 
after  sunset 
Sah-yon-ah-rah 

“Good  night,”  or 
“Farewell,  if  it 
must  be  so 

The  Japanese  bow  in  meeting  or  parting  from 
each  other,  but  they  are  learning  to  imitate  for- 
eign customs  and  shake  hands  with  foreigners. 

St.  John,  3d  chapter,  16th  verse  (in  Roman 
letters) : 

“ Sore  Kami  wa  sono  umitamaeru  hitorigo 
wo  tamau  hodo  ni  yo  710  hito  wo  aishitamaeri 
ko  wa  subele  kare  wo  shinzuru  motto  ni  horo- 
burti  koto  naku  shite  kagirinaki  inochi  wo 
ukeshimen  ga  tame  nari." 


"Ohayo" 

“ Koti  ttichiwa" 

“ Koitbati" 
“Sayottara” 


21 


KOREA. 


1.  Where  is  Korea  ? 

Korea  is  a peninsula  of  Asia,  west  of  Japan, 
and  lying  between  the  Yellow  Sea  and  the  Sea 
of  Japan. 

2.  Describe  the  country. 

A chain  of  mountains  extends  through  its 
whole  length.  Three  provinces  lie  east  of  the 
mountains,  and  five  west.  The  western  side  is 
more  fertile  and  attractive  than  the  eastern,  and 
is  watered  by  more  rivers. 

3.  What  is  the  area  of  the  country? 

Korea  is  as  large  as  the  combined  areas  of 
Maine,  Massachusetts,  New  Hampshire,  Ver- 
mont, Connecticut  and  Rhode  Island,  together 
with  New  Jersey  and  Maryland. 

4.  What  is  the  population  ? 

It  is  estimated  at  about  12,000,000. 

5.  What  is  the  climate? 

The  winters  of  the  north  are  very  severe ; 
further  south  we  find  all  the  varieties  that  are 
met  with  between  New  England  and  Virginia. 


22 


6.  What  are  the  products  of  the  land  ? 

Corn,  millet,  wheat,  rye,  rice,  barley  and 
beans,  upon  which  the  people  depend  for  food  ; 
hemp,  cotton,  tobacco  and  ginger;  the  pine, 
palm  and  a variety  of  fruits  of  fine  quality. 
The  mulberry  and  scrub-oak  are  cultivated  as 
food  for  silk-worms. 

7.  Tell  something  of  the  history  of  Korea. 

The  ancestors  of  the  modern  Koreans  were 
from  Manchuria,  and  after  wresting  the  penin- 
sula from  the  Chinese,  held  it  for  several  cen- 
turies. £.bout  the  tenth  century  the  thirty-two 
monarchies  of  the  country  were  united  in  one 
dynasty,  under  the  government  of  Wang.  In 
the  fourteenth  century  this  line  was  overthrown 
by  Ni  Taijo,  who  was  made  king.  The  same 
dynasty  still  continues,  though  not  in  the  direct 
line  of  descent. 

A yearly  tribute  was  paid  to  China  until  1894, 
when  by  the  assistance  of  the  Japanese,  Korea 
was  declared  independent.  A period  of  great 
political  disturbance  followed,  and  the  Japanese 
influence  which  was  at  first  supreme,  was  for 
a time  supplanted  by  that  of  Russia.  This 
brought  on  a war  between  Japan  and  Russia 
(1904-1905),  and  at  present  the  Japanese  have 
eutire  control  of  Korea. 

8.  What  is  the  condition  of  the  people? 


23 


There  is  little  education,  though  some  schools 
are  maintained  by  the  government.  Most  of  the 
people  are  very  poor,  and  many  of  their  houses 
are  of  mud,  thatched  with  straw.  The  rich 
dress  in  silk  and  the  poor  in  cotton.  They 
have  many  holidays  and  public  merry-makings. 
Women  are  considered  as  inferior,  but  are  not 
treated  with  such  harshness  as  in  some  coun- 
tries. 

9.  What  is  the  religion  of  Korea? 

In  the  early  ages  the  religion  consisted  in  a 
superstitious  devil-worship.  Buddhism  was  in- 
troduced in  the  fourth  century,  and  Confucian- 
ism later.  Taoism  also  exists  in  Korea,  but 
without  much  influence.  Ancestral  worship 
is  an  interesting  feature  of  Korean  religion. 
Tablets  are  erected  with  the  names  and  virtues 
of  ancestors,  and  sometimes  handsome  temples 
are  built  to  their  memory.  Food  is  offered  to 
the  departed  spirit,  and  prayers  and  wailings 
are  part  of  the  worship. 

10.  What  is  the  state  of  religion  among  the 
people  to-day  ? 

Buddhism  has  lost  much  of  its  control  over 
the  people ; Confucianism  is  not  much  more 
than  a system  of  morals ; and  their  supersti- 
tious devil-worship,  or  the  “natural  religion,” 
that  finds  a god  in  everything,  has  no  longer 


24 


much  sway  over  the  people,  so  that  the  whole 
nation  may  almost  be  said  to  have  no  religion. 

11.  What  does  this  show  ? 

It  shows  that  God,  by  breaking  down  the 
superstitions  of  the  people,  is  preparing  the 
way  for  the  gospel. 

12.  What  was  the  first  missionary  work  in 
Korea  ? 

Roman  Catholic  missionaries  entered  the 
country  at  several  times  and  gained  many  con- 
verts. The  suspicions  of  the  government  and 
the  native  priesthood  were  aroused  in  each  case, 
and  the  missionaries  were  driven  away,  while 
their  followers  were  obliged  to  flee,  to  recant, 
or  to  suffer  horrible  tortures. 

13.  When  was  the  first  treaty  made  with 
foreign  governments? 

After  unsuccessful  efforts  of  both  France  and 
America,  Japan  succeeded  in  making  a treaty 
with  Korea  in  1876,  and  six  years  later  a satis- 
factory treaty  was  made  with  America. 

14.  Who  was  one  of  the  first  Protestant  con- 
verts among  the  Koreans  ? 

Rijutei,  a Korean,  was  sent  to  represent  his 
government  in  Japan.  Soon  after  reaching 
the  country  some  Christian  books  fell  into  his 
hands.  He  read  them  with  eager  interest  and 


25 


was  introduced  to  one  of  the  American  mission- 
aries, from  whom  he  received  instruction.  He 
accepted  Christianity  and  was  baptized. 

15.  What  was  the  result  of  Rijutei’s  conver- 
sion ? 

He  immediately  began  to  prepare  a Bible 
which  his  countrymen  could  read,  by  intro- 
ducing certain  marks  among  the  Chinese  char- 
acters. He  begged  that  missionaries  might  be 
sent  to  Korea,  and  Dr.  H.  N.  Allen,  then  living 
in  China,  went  in  1884. 

16.  How  was  Dr.  Allen  received? 

The  American  Minister  appointed  him  physi- 
cian to  the  legation,  which  insured  his  safety. 
Soon  after  his  arrival  a number  of  Koreans  were 
wounded  in  a political  outbreak,  among  them 
a nephew  of  the  king.  He  and  several  others 
recovered  from  their  wounds  under  Dr.  Allen’s 
care,  and  his  skill  gained  him  the  favor  of  the 
king  and  his  court. 

17.  What  was  at  first  the  most  prominent 
form  of  missionary  work  in  Korea  ? 

The  medical  work.  The  Government  hos- 
pital at  Seoul,  the  capital,  was  for  years  under 
missionary  control,  and  medical  women  had 
large  opportunities  among  the  women.  A fine 
new  hospital,  the  Severance  Memorial,  is  just 
completed. 


26 


At  each  station  there  are  hospitals  and  dis- 
pensaries— eight  in  all.  There  are  ten  mission- 
ary physicians. 

18.  What  success  has  attended  evangelistic 
work  in  Korea  ? 

The  success  with  which  God  has  blessed 
evangelistic  work  in  Korea  is  wonderful,  and 
the  progress  has  been  greater  than  in  any  other 
country  since  apostolic  times. 

19.  What  facts  show  that  this  is  so  ? 

Dr.  Allen  reached  Korea  in  the  fall  of  1884, 
and  the  first  ordained  missionary  came  in  the 
spring  of  1885  ; the  first  convert  was  baptized  in 
July,  1886;  the  first  church  organized  (Presby- 
terian) in  the  fall  of  1887,  and  before  the  close  of 
1888,  the  baptized  converts  of  the  two  missions, 
Methodist  and  Presbyterian,  numbered  over  100. 

20.  What  is  the  condition  of  the  work  now? 

The  whole  number  of  Protestant  believers  is 

estimated  at  50,000. 


The  Presbyterian  churches  of  our  mission 
have  now  12,546  communicants  and  over  11,000 
catechumens  gathered  into  628  churches  and 
congregations.  Most  of  these  churches  have 
built  their  own  chapels,  and  support  their  own 
work.  The  church  at  Pyeng  Yang  will  hold 
1,700  people. 


27 


21.  In  what  way  has  this  work  been  carried 
on  ? 

Periodical  trips  have  been  taken  through  the 
country  for  the  sale  and  distribution  of  books, 
the  preaching  of  the  gospel  and  baptism  of  con- 
verts. Sub-stations  have  been  established,  col- 
porteurs have  been  employed  to  visit  regularly 
certain  districts ; and  a theological  class  has 
been  carried  on  for  some  years.  Many  of  the 
country  Christians  come  twice  a year  to  some 
central  point  for  classes  in  the  study  of  the 
Bible,  which  are  held  for  two  weeks.  Last  year 
more  than  six  thousand  students  were  enrolled. 

22.  How  is  the  work  carried  on  among  the 
women  ? 

They  are  visited  in  their  homes,  and  as  far  as 
possible  special  services  are  held  for  them.  On 
Sunday  the  attendance  is  often  so  large  that 
three  successive  meetings  have  to  be  held. 
Durinethe  wept  al«n  various  classes  for  women 
'mes  and  at  the  m>«- 


_0.  n ucie  arc  iuc  principal  scnooisr 
At  Seoul  is  an  excellent  girls’  boarding  school 
and  a school  for  boys  with  150  pupils.  The 
Pyeng  Yang  Academy  for  young  men  has  160 
pupils.  The  girls’  school  has  53  scholars,  of 
whom  14  are  boarders.  Primary  schools  are 
maintained  by  most  of  the  churches. 


28 


24-  What  stations  are  occupied  by  our  mis- 
sionaries ? 

Seoul,  the  capital ; to  the  north,  Chai  Kyong, 
Pyeng  Yang  on  the  Taitong  River,  and  Syen 
Chun  in  the  extreme  northwest;  in  the  south, 
Taiku,  60  miles  inland,  and  Fusan,  on  the 
southeast  coast.  Most  of  our  Christians  are  in 
the  northern  provinces.  There  are  628  out- 
stations. 

25.  What  other  Protestant  churches  are  work- 
ing here? 

American  Methodists,  Southern,  Canadian, 
and  Australian  Presbyterians,  and  the  Church  of 
England.  The  “ Korean  Presbyterian  Church  ” 
includes  the  four  Presbyterian  Missions,  and 
they  unite  with  the  Methodists  in  supporting 
schools  and  a publishing  house. 

Language  and  Pronunciation. 

The  language  of  Korea  is  similar  in  construc- 
tion to  the  Japanese.  Many  of  the  words  have 
been  imported  from  China,  but  neither  Japanese 
nor  Chinese  is  understood  when  spoken,  al- 
though Chinese  is  read  by  all  scholars.  With 
the  exception  of  a few  slight  differences  in  dia- 
lect, the  language  of  Seoul  can  be  understood 
all  over  the  kingdom.  The  written  characters 
are  read  from  the  top  down,  and  from  right  to 
left. 


29 


Geographical  Names. 


Pronunciation 


Chemulpo 


Chee-mul-po 
We- Jew 


Eui  Ju 
Fusan 
Gensan 
Korea 


Foo-san 
Ghen-san 
Ko-ree-ah 
Peng  Yang 


Pyeng  Yang 


Seoul  (or  Kyung-gi-do)  Sa-oul 
Coins  and  their  Value. 

Cash — a small  copper  coin — is  the  only  money. 
Large  numbers  of  these  are  carried  by  a cord 
passed  through  a hole  in  the  centre, 
i puri  is  5 cash. 

400  cash  are  equal  to  a silver  dollar. 


Korean  weights  are  the  same  as  Chinese. 

A Keun  or  Catty  is  equal  to  1J/3  lbs. 

A Nyang  or  Onnus  is  equal  to  of  a keun. 
A Ton  is  equal  to  x\y  of  a nyang  or  onnus. 


The  measures  used  in  the  city  differ  from 
those  used  in  the  country.  Land  is  measured 
by  the  quantity  of  grain  used  to  sow  it,  or  the 
time  taken  to  plough  it. 

Grain  is  measured  by  so  many  heiip  or  hand- 
fuls to  make  a sym  or  bag. 


Weights. 


Measures. 


30 


Distances. 

Chi — equals  one  inch. 

Cha — equals  one  foot. 

A Li  is  really  measured  by  time — io  li  means 
an  hour's  travel  by  coolies  on  the  plains ; the 
distance  is  less  on  the  mountains  because  the 
coolies  travel  more  slowly. 

Native  Words  Found  in  Missionary  Literature. 


Abagie 

Father 

Ahrnounie 

Mother 

An-pang 

Women’s  apartmeuts 

Chinas 

Outside  silk  garment 

Chogories 

A little  jacket  or  waist 

Hapmun  ox  Ingum 

King 

Kamsqh 

High  official,  governor 

Kile  hung 

Guest  house 

Mee  Kook  saram 

Americans 

Pung  sok 

Custom 

Quagas 

Government  examinations 

San 

Mountain 

Sarang  pang 

General  reception  room 

Tai 

Great 

Tai  In 

Great  man,  foreigner 

Wae  Yamen 

Foreign  office 

Yang  ban 

Gentleman 

Yangeen 

European 

Yoe 

Guilt 

Yong  num 

Official  residence 

Yun 

Kite 

31 


St.  John,  3d  chapter,  16th  verse  (in  Korean 
characters) : 


U. 

£ 

o| 

£ 

Cl? 

I1 

tr 

Dl 

M 


°1 

D 

7T 

1 


at 

*i± 

tE 

cE? 

9' 


of 

w- 

s 

o| 

*ii 

A<? 

o. 

s 

Ah 

s 

6 

ZL 

2| 

oj- 


32 


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